⚔️ The Qolla l-Bajda Battery in Gozo
📍 Location
Situated between Marsalforn Bay and Qbajjar Bay on the northern coast of Gozo.
Named after the nearby Qolla l-Bajda hillock (literally “the White Hillock”), a distinctive geological landmark.
⚔️ Early History of Qolla l-Bajda Battery
🌍 Strategic Context
After the Great Siege of 1565, the Order of St John began fortifying Malta heavily.
By the early 18th century, raids from Ottoman fleets and North African corsairs (Barbary pirates) were still a major threat.
The northern coast of Gozo — especially Marsalforn Bay and Qbajjar Bay — was seen as a vulnerable landing area because it had wide, shallow beaches where raiding parties could disembark
quickly.
🏗️ Conception and Design
In 1714–1715, Grand Master Ramon Perellós y Roccaful approved a coastal fortification programme.
The plan, drafted by military engineers Jacques de Tigné and Charles François de Mondion, called for new batteries, redoubts, and entrenchments across Malta and Gozo.
Qolla l-Bajda Battery (sometimes referred to in documents as the Marsalforn-Qbajjar Battery) was part of this first wave, built between 1715–1716.
🔫 Armament and Garrison
By the late 1710s, records list the battery as equipped with 4 to 6 iron cannon mounted on wooden carriages.
Stored inside the blockhouse were powder kegs, cannonballs, grapeshot, and hand muskets for the garrison.
The garrison was relatively small — usually a handful of soldiers (perhaps 10–12 men), often drawn from the local Gozo militia, under the command of an officer of the Order.
Soldiers were responsible for maintaining the cannons, keeping watch for enemy sails, and signalling to nearby towers and batteries.
📜 First Century of Use
1716–1798: The battery remained on active guard duty, though it never saw a major battle. Its mere presence acted as a deterrent.
It was regularly inspected by the Order’s military engineers to ensure the guns and structure were serviceable.
Signals and communication: The battery worked in coordination with nearby Marsalforn Tower , which relayed signals inland to the Citadel in Victoria.
Pirate raids: While no large-scale Ottoman invasion came after 1565, corsair raids on isolated Gozitan villages persisted into the 18th century. Qolla l-Bajda and its sister batteries made such raids riskier.
By the late 18th century, it was already considered somewhat outdated, as artillery range and naval warfare evolved.
✅ Summary so far
So in summary, the early history of Qolla l-Bajda is tied directly to the 1715–1716 coastal fortification programme. It was one of the first purpose-built batteries in Gozo, designed to protect key bays from pirate and Ottoman incursions, staffed by a small garrison, and equipped with around half a dozen cannon.
🏗️ Construction
Built between 1715–1716 as part of the first coastal defence programme of the Order of St John.
Cost was partly covered by funds from the Università of Gozo (the local governing body), showing that Gozitans themselves helped finance their own defences.
Constructed in limestone, with a semi-circular gun platform facing the sea built by Gozitan masons under the supervision of military engineers.
The battery was linked by a long entrenchment wall stretching inland to provide extended defence.
It included:
A semi-circular gun platform (where cannons were mounted) allowing overlapping fields of fire across Marsalforn and Qbajjar bays.
A low parapet wall with embrasures allowed for mounting of medium-calibre cannon, probably 6–8 pounders.
A blockhouse at the rear, rectangular in plan, serving as barracks and powder storage.
Two small side rooms and a central vaulted hall with two side rooms.
The blockhouse walls are unusually thick, to resist bombardment and protect gunpowder.
An entrenchment wall extended inland, designed to block enemy troops if they attempted to move past the battery.
A ditch and glacis (earthen ramparts) provided additional protection from land assault.
🎯 Purpose and Use
Designed to defend the bays of Marsalforn and Qbajjar from Ottoman or Barbary corsair landings.
The northern coast of Gozo was particularly vulnerable as a landing spot.
Equipped with cannon and swivel guns, likely around 4–6 heavy guns on the main platform.
The battery worked in combination with nearby watchtowers:
Xwejni Redoubt .
Marsalforn Tower (now lost), already in use since 1605).
Its purpose was both military deterrence and control of local bays for trade and fishing.
📜 Later History
1798–1800: During the French occupation of Malta, the battery was used by locals and insurgents against French troops.
19th century (British rule): Became militarily obsolete as artillery technology advanced.
Fell into gradual disuse, with locals sometimes reusing parts of the structure.
20th century: Re-used in WW2 for coastal defence (machine gun posts).
After the war, it was abandoned again.
Late 20th century: The battery was leased out and for a time was converted into a disco and bar – an inappropriate use that damaged parts of the structure.
2000s–today: Officially recognized as a Grade 1 scheduled property (highest protection). Restoration proposals have been made, but the building remains in a state of neglect, with parts deteriorating due to lack of upkeep.
🏛️ Architectural Importance
Represents a key link in the Order of St John’s coastal defence network around the Maltese Islands.
Architecturally, it combines both practical military design and the Maltese limestone tradition.
🚶 Visiting Today
The battery still stands between Marsalforn and Qbajjar bays.
Exterior is visible, though the interior is not formally accessible due to safety issues.
It remains an evocative sight, with views over the northern coast and nearby salt pans.
Heritage NGOs are campaigning for a proper restoration and conversion into a cultural site.
